


4:43 AM

by baongin



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-11 22:56:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17455856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baongin/pseuds/baongin
Summary: Chanyeol and Baekhyun are crying in McDonalds at 4 am for two completely different reasons.





	4:43 AM

”I’m so sorry,” Baekhyun hears a pitiful whimper from the man sitting slumped against the seat ahead of them. He fiercely wipes the tears off his face before he takes a hold of his burger once more, expression determined and grip maybe a little too hard as he moves it closer to his mouth and then his lips twitch and his expression falls and Baekhyun rolls his eyes and pushes his tray forward.

Should he? It’s been twenty minutes of this repeated nonsense and it didn’t look like it would end any time soon. Baekhyun looks at his friend, Kyungsoo, who is absentmindedly picking at his fries — eyes dead, soul probably absent since it’s four in the morning but they’ve been holed up in their dorm for weeks with finals coming up and papers due and they so desperately needed a breath of fresh air. 

Yes, a visit to McDonalds counts as getting ”fresh air” if the walk is fifteen minutes. But they’ve been here a while now, forty three minutes to be exact — and Baekhyun is keeping tabs because the deadline for his assignment expires in exactly seven hours and seventeen minutes and he still has a few thousand words to go and that is putting it lightly. 

Time is precious but to Baekhyun so is distraction and he isn’t getting any of that because of the hooded stranger sitting at the table by the window.

He appears to be drunk. God, he must be. He’d been there probably long before Baekhyun and Kyungsoo arrived but he wasn’t crying and whispering apologies to his burger then. They would’ve sat further away had that been the case but he broke out in tears the moment they made themselves comfortable and Baekhyun doesn’t like moving when he’s comfortable.

Baekhyun kicks his friend under the table and he doesn’t even flinch, gaze still focused on his now cold fries and drawing circles on the small heap of salt he gathered around his tray. ”Kyungsoo—”

”No.”

Baekhyun blinks. ”I haven’t said anything yet.”

Kyungsoo’s finger stops moving and he looks up at him as he takes a handful of fries into his mouth. Baekhyun waits as his friend chews slowly, eyes never leaving his as he takes a slurp out of his drink. ”Leave that loser alone.” Kyungsoo replies, finally. ”Let him cry over his burger. Lord knows we all need a good cry right now.”

As if on cue, they hear the boy sniffle and Baekhyun turns his attention back to him. He is leaning his head against the window now, staring off into the parking lot as he gently pats his burger with his hand. ”That’s it. I’m going.”

”We should leave.” Kyungsoo stands up and his chair scrapes against the floor. He puts on his jacket and pockets a handful of tissues. He always does that. ”You’re only doing this because you want to distract yourself from your studies but newsflash asshole; your paper won't write itself.” 

”That’s harsh.” Baekhyun pouts, pretending to be affected by the words. He gives his friend a pat on the back as a goodbye and makes his way to the depressed stranger. 

Baekhyun plops down on the seat across him just as Kyungsoo makes his exit while muttering something about Baekhyun being an idiot but he’s not paying attention to that because the boy jerks at the sudden movement and he eyes Baekhyun for what seems like forever before Baekhyun clears his throat and nods towards the burger. ”What do you got there?” 

He already knows what he has there. A disaster of a burger is what it is — bread crushed from the heavy grip placed on it and contents spilled out. It’s as if the burger died a second time. It’s pitiful.

”Looks like chicken? Is that chicken?”

The boy blinks before he looks at his tray. It seems like it takes him a while to register what Baekhyun has asked before he speaks up. ”It’s my friend.”

”Yeah?”

He nods. ”Yeah,” and it comes out in a breath — another sniffle. ”He’s dead, you know?” He gestures towards the crushed burger, ”and now I have to eat him.” He sounds so utterly defeated and Baekhyun bites his lips and pretends to hum thoughtfully. His fake act cracks a little when he exhales sharply, the result of trying to contain his laughter. 

”That’s awful.” He snorts before clearing his throat.

”I didn’t even ask for it?” New tears form in his eyes and Baekhyun can’t help but think he looks like a baby with his ever-present pout and puffy cheeks. 

”I just sat here and that lady,” he points at the employee behind the counter who is mindlessly perusing her phone and popping her chewing gum before he leans forward — hands on the table as he rises slightly off his seat. Baekhyun thinks he’s about to disclose a secret when he sees genuine fear pooling in the eyes of the man. ”She just put this here and said ’eat up’”

Baekhyun blinks a couple times before he leans in as well. ”I think it’s nice of her.” He whispers. 

The other doesn’t seem to agree as he sits back down with a shake of his head. ”No.” He says, he continues to shake his head as if he can’t believe this is happening to him. ”I don’t think she’ll let me leave until I eat this.”

Baekhyun smiles, genuine and wide and he’s sort of glad he ignored Kyungsoo and stayed behind to chat up this adorable, paranoid stranger. ”Yeah?”

”Yea—” the boy suddenly stills, making eye contact with the employee who has decided to put her phone down for a second and he immediately lowers his gaze in fear. His eyes are wide as he stares down at the table, pure distress radiating off of him and for Baekhyun, who is witnessing this exchange, it is the last straw and there’s nothing that is able to stop the loud and unrestrained laugh that escapes him. He has to grip the edge of the table to calm down.

Boy, is he glad he came over. 

His new friend (Yes, friend because anyone who can make Baekhyun laugh is automatically added into his growing list of friends and this beautiful, oblivious drunk has earned himself a gold star.) has his face scrunched in confusion and he mumbles something before poking the burger.

”What was that?” Baekhyun asks as he wipes the corner of his eyes, traces of laughter still in his voice. 

”I’m vegetarian.” He repeats, ”ever since I was 12 and my uncle killed, cooked and served us my precious chicken.”

Baekhyun stops his movements, stumped at the sudden oversharing. ”Damn, that’s…. That’s awful.”

”Yeah.” He bites his bottom lip and looks at Baekhyun now that he’s sure the lady’s attention is no longer on them. ”We finish our dinner and I go outside to wish her a good night but I can’t find her anywhere so I ask ’where is Petunia?’ and he walks up to me, crouches down, yeah? ’Cause I was real small back then like you—”

”Shut up,” Baekhyun cuts in before he allows him to continue.

”And he says ’with you forever’” The boy says the last part in an even deeper voice and then his face scrunches up in what looks like pain from recalling the traumatic experience. ”He didn’t even know how the digestive system worked. Petunia stayed with me for 24 hours.” And then his lips tremble again and Baekhyun is a little dumbfounded because…

”Fuck,” he grimaces. ”That’s... rough man.” Okay, maybe he’s not the best at consoling people and it shows because now the man is right back to his crying except this time it’s softer, more subtle and a little heartbreaking, that is until he starts caressing the burger as if he’s been reunited with a lost lover. There aren’t any other customers around except for them but Baekhyun still wants to slide down his seat and slip through the door unnoticed.

”This looks just like her.”

Baekhyun has a feeling that the tragic fuckshit of a burger does not look like the guy’s precious Petunia but he decides it’s time to divert the conversation to something else to ease his painful remembrance.

”So,” he starts out a little awkward, scratching the back of his head. ”What brings you here?”

”What brings you here?” 

Baekhyun raises an eyebrow at the sudden attitude. ”Excuse me?”

”I may be a little tipsy,” Baekhyun bites his lip to prevent himself from interrupting. A little tipsy my ass. ”But it’s like 5 am and i’m in a hostage situation but you,” he points at Baekhyun, moving his finger in small circles, ”you’re here too. What’s your deal?”

What’s his deal, huh? Well, there’s the fact that he’s been putting off work, doing everything half-assed and sleeping through lectures the entire semester and before he knew it he was swamped and unable to breathe and punishment came in the form of an assignment due in exactly six hours and forty six minutes. 

He had barely even started when he decided he needed to get out of the dorm because he couldn’t stand the blank pages and the blinking cursor mocking him as if it was a ticking time bomb silently going tick, tick, tick.

Now that’s only the tip of the iceberg because finals are coming up and just the thought of the impending doom that awaits him starting from those six hours and forty six minutes makes his chest constrict and causes a lump to form in his throat. What’s his deal? A lot.

It seems like the tables have turned and Baekhyun finds himself unable to speak. 

Now Baekhyun likes to think that he’s not the type to cry in public — Jongdae with his video collection of him having a meltdown in at least six different public locations would disagree though. 

It’s as if something finally snaps within him. The weight of the situation feels too heavy and he can feel himself tearing up against his will. This doesn’t go unnoticed by the now frowning boy in front of him. In a futile attempt to regain his composure he tries laughing it off but he ends up whimpering and slaps a hand across his mouth instead.

Baekhyun can’t stop the tears from falling but he can prevent himself from making any noise to remain with some semblance of dignity. However, this sudden change in his demeanor seems to have an effect on the other as he watches on with his glassy eyes and puckered bottom lip. 

”Hey,” he says and his voice cracks. ”W-why are you crying?”

Baekhyun takes one look at the boy in front of him and finally gives up trying to hold back and breaks out into a full sob. ”I’m going to fail!” He’s hyperventilating but he doesn’t miss the way he makes the strange boy jump at his sudden outburst. 

”Oh my God, It’s over. I’m done!”

This seems to trigger the man and he starts crying as well, shaking his head rapidly as if he’s refusing to accept the defeat despite not knowing what exactly Baekhyun is about to fail. ”No,” he says hoarsely ”you can’t.”

And Baekhyun nods at that, ”yeah?” He sniffles.

”Yeah, you can’t fail. Please don’t fail.” He places his hands over Baekhyun’s and holds onto him tightly. ”You’re beautiful, kind—” he stops to think, sniffling and Baekhyun swallows, looking at him questioningly.

”You, uhm,” he starts again. ”y-you look like you might know some stuff and yeah, you suck at cheering people up and maybe you shouldn’t approach random strangers in public and you should’ve thought twice before putting that shirt on—” It’s strange, Baekhyun thinks, how someone can sit there and criticize you and at the same time sound so sincere and supporting. Maybe that’s what the stranger thinks he’s doing as he picks at whatever flaw he might have caught onto during their little time together.

”You’re mean.” Baekhyun interrupts him with a glare. ”And you look like a tube man. Probably walk like one too.”

And the boy stops crying immediately, looking genuinely offended. ”That’s not nice.”

”You’re not nice!” Baekhyun shoots back. ”You told me my shirt was ugly.”

”You haven’t seen me walk. I’ve been sitting this entire time so why would you assume that?”

”That’s not the point.”

”Do I really remind you of a tube man?” He looks discouraged. ”And here I thought I was charming your pants off and scoring myself a date.”

Wait what? Baekhyun is a little taken back but that comment works wonders in erasing all the initial annoyance he felt towards the other and he’s left confused about the man’s supposed charms. Is being drunk and crying in McDonalds early in the morning considered smooth to him? 

He did end up looking cute though, big vulnerable eyes and puffy cheeks, who wouldn’t want to wrap him in a blanket and take him home? Hmm, maybe it does work after all.

Baekhyun opens his mouth to tell him he perhaps wouldn’t mind getting to know him during different circumstances if he would stop ripping into him but he seems to have lost the boy.

”They don’t even walk.” He continues. ”Imagine if they did though? That would be so scary.”

Baekhyun is ready to interrupt his train of thought when he gasps ”Oh no.”

”What?” Baekhyun looks behind him thinking the employee scared him again. ”What is it?”

”I-I imagined it.”

Baekhyun huffs, trying to sound annoyed but the man is just too… ridiculously cute. ”Enough, come here.” He says, patting the spot next to him and the hooded boy doesn’t need to be told twice, quickly rising to his feet and damn, he’s taller than I expected.

What Baekhyun also didn’t expect was for the man to sit impossibly close and wrap his arms around him. So he’s a crying drunk, a paranoid drunk and an affectionate drunk. Noted.

The boy places his head on Baekhyun’s shoulder and Baekhyun laughs softly at the sudden affections before placing a hand on his back and rubbing circles. 

”You smell really nice.” The boy says after a while.

”That’s really nice to hear considering I haven’t showered for a week.”

The other male scrunches his face in disgust as a response and Baekhyun can just tell he has reacted and laughs a little louder, purposely obnoxious and he doesn’t know it yet but the boy has just found his new favorite sound.

”I’ve been thinking,” He nestles further into Baekhyun and Baekhyun’s hand moves up pulling the boy’s hoodie off and settling on his soft curls. He honestly can’t tell how they ended up like this. It’s not exactly what he was expecting when he first approached a crying stranger barely forty minutes ago.

”About what?” He asks, running his fingers through his hair earning a satisfied hum in response. He’s like a puppy, Baekhyun thinks.

”We could run away and get married.”

Baekhyun stops his movements. ”Like change our names and work in a remote farm for an old couple who look like they harbor dark secrets regarding the mysterious disappearances in the town nearby?”

”No,” the other whines. ”I mean ten dogs and a house in the suburbs with a white picket fence. You’d walk through the door every day wearing your fancy suit and tie and say shit like ’honey, i’m home’. You know, like in the movies.”

Baekhyun smiles at that and decides he wants to entertain this. ”Why do I have to be the one working?”

”Because you’d look amazing in a suit.”

”I can’t argue that.”

He finally removes himself from Baekhyun’s shoulder and sits upright, a bit too close to Baekhyun’s face but he looks excited. ”Plus my grandfather’s cousin was a pastor so I think that makes me one by association and therefore I declare us husbands, any objections?”

Baekhyun laughs and this time the man joins him happily and maybe Baekhyun has also found his new favorite sound. ”None. What’s your name?”

”Park Chanyeol,” he smiles and it suits him. Chanyeol.

”I’m Byun Baekhyun. Now does that make us the Park-Byun’s?”

Chanyeol shakes his head. ”No, that’s too long.”

”How about this then? I take yours and you take mine?”

”Like borrowing it?” Chanyeol looks like he’s thinking it over seriously and it’s ridiculous and so so cute.

”Yeah,” he replies, fondly. ”Just like that.”

”But it has to be forever because I think you have beautiful eyes and your laugh is really nice and it makes my heart do cartwheels and you look like you could make a really mean haejangguk.” 

Baekhyun raises an eyebrow at that last part, impressed and a little weirded out by the strange observation. ”Yeah, actually I can.”

”So it’s a deal?”

”It’s a deal, Chanyeol.”

Not much happens after that. They remain seated with Chanyeol snuggling back into the crook of Baekhyun’s neck and when Baekhyun notices Chanyeol dozing off he shakes him lightly and suggests he calls for someone to pick him up.

”I don’t have my phone with me,” he says groggily and then, ”you really should take a shower.”

”And you should cut your hair,” Baekhyun quips. It’s a joke, he hasn’t been able to keep his hands off the soft locks but Chanyeol’s scandalized gasp is worth it.

”I want a divorce.”

Baekhyun snorts, finally letting go and digging into his pocket for his phone. ”You wouldn’t be able to afford the settlement.” He hands the phone over to the pouting male urging him to call someone, anyone. He’s ready to work on his essay but he can’t leave the giant puppy behind without supervision.

”Will I see you again?” Chanyeol asks once Baekhyun is on his feet and retrieving his jacket from his original seat. It comes out weak, and he’s frowning and Baekhyun has known him long enough (one hour and twenty seven minutes) to be able tell when he’s about to burst out crying. ”Of course,” he reassures quickly and then he moves to the counter and asks for a pen before making his way back the pouting boy.

He extends his arm. ”Give me your hand.” 

Chanyeol reluctantly places his hand on Baekhyun’s palm. ”What are you doing?” He asks once Baekhyun uncaps the pen and then lets out a weak ”Ow!” When the shorter male begins writing on his palm.

”Stop being a baby,” he snorts and Chanyeol huffs. 

”My palms are sensitive.” He defends, ”and you’re too rough.”

Baekhyun smiles at that. ”It seems all of you is sensitive. I’m writing my digits so hold on a little longer and i’ll kiss it better, yeah?”

Chanyeol nods slowly and then he picks up speed, looking more enthusiastic. ”Yeah. I could do that, yes.”

Once Baekhyun is finished he holds Chanyeol’s hand with both his hands and blows on his palm before placing a tender kiss and Chanyeol gasps in response.

”Your lips are soft,” he says shyly and Baekhyun is still holding his hand, caressing it softly. ”I bet yours are too,” he responds and Chanyeol feels a little bold.

”Want to find out?”

Baekhyun laughs letting go of his hand and it falls flat. ”Maybe when you’re not drunk.” And then he looks at him for a second. ”Definitely when you’re not drunk. I’m expecting a call.” He says running his hand through Chanyeol’s hair one last time and then he prepares to leave.

”I’ll call you!” Chanyeol calls out before Baekhyun is out the door and Baekhyun has no doubt he will.

Except he never does. Weeks go by and Baekhyun had managed to hand in a barely passing (but still very much passing) essay, finals come and go and with luck on his side along with late night study sessions, and a very concerning amount of coffee and energy drinks, Baekhyun passes all his exams. 

It’s all great except Chanyeol never called and Baekhyun is not sure he was blown off, forgotten or he left Chanyeol to his own devices and now he’s dead in a ditch somewhere. All of those eat at him but one slightly more than the others. He laughs the thought off. Chanyeol can’t be dead. He didn’t leave him to die, he’s a grown man and he’s able to take care of himself long enough to have his friend (S-Sehun?) pick him up.

But then again Chanyeol is the same man who was bawling his eyes off fully believing he was held hostage by a McDonald’s employee. Oh my God, he’s dead.

He’s dragging his suitcase across campus when he sees him again. The semester is over and a break spent with his parents in his family home actually sounds appealing after all the late nights staring at his dorm room ceiling and living off of ramen noodles. He desperately misses his mother’s home cooked meals and it appears a certain other does too and he seems to have packed too much as he struggles to carry an even bigger and heavier suitcase than the one Baekhyun has along with two other fully packed backpacks.

Baekhyun watches as the loveable fool tries to advance forward with one of each strap of the bags slung over his shoulders but they end up colliding when he moves and slide down his arms making him curse in response.

”Jesus, did you pack your entire house in that tiny bag of yours?” He points to a particular backpack that looks like it’s about to burst and Chanyeol stops his movements looking at an approaching Baekhyun with wide eyes.

Baekhyun is a little relieved to be recognized even though Chanyeol seems to have frozen on the spot. ”So, I take it as you remember?” He asks amused and Chanyeol clears his throat awkwardly.

”Yeah…” He says stiffly and he attempts to scratch the back of his head, failing as the strap of the heavy bag holds his arm down. ”Yeah.” He repeats.

”Yeah.”

They stare at each other for a second before Baekhyun laughs because Chanyeol is awkward and his cheeks are turning red and he looks like he wants to cry from embarrassment. Chanyeol joins him because Baekhyun’s laugh is contagious like that and he finally seems to relax, settling into an easy smile. 

”Hey, Park Baekhyun,” he finally says and it’s bolder, more comfortable. ”Mind helping me with these?”

Baekhyun takes one of the bags and settles it on top of his suitcase, placing each strap on either side of the handle. ”So you definitely remember.”

”Of course, a pretty face like yours is hard to forget.” He properly puts on the other backpack, readying himself to move. Baekhyun is glad his face was already red when he approached the boy. ”Although I wish you never had to witness all that.”

”Please, it’s not like I was any better.” Baekhyun reassures.

”Yeah,” he chuckles, ”how did it go by the way? I just realized I never actually knew what you were talking about.”

”It went well. Could’ve told you about that had you actually called.” And Chanyeol’s smile falters at that. 

”I was gonna call you…”

”But.” Baekhyun continues for him.

”Well, the things is,” he coughs. ”I, uh, I cried when you left and naturally instead of using the infinite supply of tissues McDonald’s has to offer, I used my hands and your number was the casualty.”

Of fucking course. Baekhyun wants to laugh and Chanyeol can see that he wants to laugh and he begs him not to but it’s useless because before he knows it Baekhyun bursts out into a fit of giggles and Chanyeol immediately regrets trying to stop him.

”Don’t.” He says softly, please continue is what he actually means and Baekhyun places a hand on his shoulder for support. ”Of course, that’d happen. You’re too cute. Has anyone ever told you you’re positively adorable?”

”My mom.”

”She’s damn right.” He giggles. ”But yeah, it all went better than expected. A wise man once said I look like I know some stuff and as it turns out, I did.”

”And who is this wise man you speak of?”

Baekhyun smiles. ”Byun Chanyeol.”

**Author's Note:**

> i don’t know what this is pls don’t ask bdhdhdjd >.<


End file.
